The Saddest Smile Reloaded
by Phantom105
Summary: Realizing his feelings is something Ulquiorra has a very hard time doing. He can't help be feel attached, want, and maybe something else? Originally written by RavenDark013, who allowed me to rewrite it. I take no credit for it. R
1. Realization

Hey everyone ^^ Phantom105 here. The awesomely wicked RavenDark013 has been generous enough to let me "rewrite" in a sense, this story of theirs. Don't credit me, for I am but the person who read the story and then couldn't get enough of it, don't judge me D: Anyway, the whole story/plot completely belongs to RavenDark013. And so, without further ranting, here is the story!

Disclamer: forgot to add this though I am sure everyone knows I do not own anything in this fan fiction and make no money off of it.

XxXxXx

How very interesting this creature, this, _woman_, was. She seemed to fragile, so, dare he say it?...childlike. There was no way that she, this child-like creature, could be of any use to Aizen, even with her powers. It was almost to the point of insanity, why he was being told to take care of her. He was an Espada, and a high ranking one at that. Why was he given the meaningless task of baby-sitting a human woman?

_Aizen-sama may have lost it this time..._

Nevertheless, he planned to complete his objective, whether he thought he was over-qualified or not.

He stood in the doorway of the woman's dark, tiny cell, allowing light from the halls to spill into the room. The darkness seemed to scatter away from the invading light, like ants away from a fire. Light was something this woman rarely saw. The only source was the eternal moonlight that gently filled the room through the small barred window of the cell.

It was no wonder she was always in a trough of sadness.

She looked to him with eyes of silver, staring down his jade green, emotionless eyes. Ulquiorra had been watching over Orihime for some time now, and he was finding her to be quite interesting, to the point of fascination. He couldn't hold back this feeling, no matter how hard he tried. It was like a rope, that lassoed out and grabbed him, without letting go. And he could not break this rope, even when he used all of his thought to try and slice through it. Nothing.

At first she had been defiant, reluctant, and unwilling to cooperate in the slightest bit, but now she was trying to befriend him. She had been fearful of his presence when she first arrived, but now, she did not seem to display any characteristics of fear towards him. She must have been good at hiding it. _Cuán insensato de ella. _(How foolish of her.)

After he had stood in the doorway, trying to sort the rampant thoughts that jumped around in his mind, Ulquiorra walked into her room. His shadow was the only thing that followed him in, as the door closed behind him with a thunderous deep _boom._ She was sitting on the sofa, staring at the adjacent wall with a still look plastered on her face. Her eyes never lifted to meet his. She seemed to be in a daze, over what, he couldn't tell. He stood silently in the darkness, observing her form in the milky moonlight. It seemed to cascade down her beautifully sculpted body.

….._wait, beautifully sculpted? _

Shaking the thought to the back of his mind, he wondered when the girl would ever leave her trans-like state. After all, he didn't have all day to wait for her. He cleared his throat, hoping that would do the trick. He saw life return to her face in the form of emotions, and she looked over to him, smiling. And at that exact second, it was as if all the sunlight in the world was flooding the entire room. He tried to fill his mind with a more negative thought.

_Since when does she have anything to be happy about?_

"Ulquiorra-kun, I was wondering if we could go for a walk around Las Noches," Orihime asked him. Her eyes were big and pleading. It took his every will not to give in to the beautiful smile that adorned her face.

_What are you doing to me, woman?_

Ulquiorra hesitated for a second, tangling his mind back into control. It seemed like a question so stupid, it should never have left her mouth. Las Noches was not a playground nor a place to have "fun" as she normally called it.

"No," he dead panned. This did not seem to detour her.

"Please, I am so board and it's cramped and I would like some fresh…" she started rambling on and on. He stood still and silently, listening to all the rambling words that were coming out of her mouth.

_She sure does enjoy talking..._

"If it will shut you up woman, fine, but you will not leave my sight," he said coldly. Her smile grew as she grabbed his hand and lead Ulquiorra out the door. It happened so fast, he did not even get to register what he had just agreed to. Before he knew it, she was leading him through the endless halls of Las Noches, with no idea where she was going.

Eventually after the initial excitement of leaving her cell, she slowed to a more comfortable pace. She walked by his side, hand still holding onto his. He looked down at the woman beside him. She was a bit shorter then he was, but not by much, coming up to just above his shoulder in height. Her hair was the most vivid orange color he had ever seen. It reminded him of an ocean sunset. His eyes traced down the rest of her body, when his thoughts were shaken by her fingers lacing together with his. It caused a back-up in his mind, but his body didn't fight it.

It was as if his mind and body were on two completely different pages, hopelessly torn from each other.

They continued to walk, neither of them saying anything. Silence hung low in the air. Ulquiorra decided that he _liked _the feeling of her hand with his, but of course, he would never say this.

They walked around for about an hour. Orihime was happy to be out of that stuffy room and stretching her legs.

"Why do you never smile Ulquiorra-kun?" she asked him suddenly. He looked at her unsure of what to say at first.

"That is none of you business," he said. Orihime was not satisfied with this answer.

"I think its because you don't know how to smile," she said hoping this would stir something in him.

"I have no reason to smile," he finally answered. He had never really thought about things like smiles or happiness. These things were unimportant. What mattered was helping Aizen achieve his goal. It was what he was created to do, wasn't it? He shook that traitorous thought off before it had a chance to take root in his mind. Such thoughts were poisonous, and she was feeding it to him every second she was in his presence.

He knew it wouldn't be long before he became intoxicated...but was that a bad thing?

They were silent after that until they returned to Orihime's room. Once they were in her room Orihime stood in front of Ulquiorra, and looked at him with a sad smile. They were no more then two feet away from each other.

"Ulquiorra-kun, I want to give you a reason to smile. I want to heal the hole in your heart," he looked at her shocked, though he hid it well.

"Foolish woman. What could you do that would make me…" he choked on the last word some, "happy." She looked angry and hurt for a moment. Orihime slapped him like she had when he had once told her that her friends were dead. The slap recoiled on his face, twisting it to the side. The sound could be heard throughout the cell, a violent sound indeed. His face stung where she had hit him. He pulled his head back to face her, but his face was met again, this time by something much different. She put both her hands on the back of his neck, entangling in his raven hair, before pulling him towards her, and she kissed him. Her lips were soft and plump, meeting with his virgin dual-colored lips. For the first time he showed real shock, his eyes widening. He grabbed her by the shoulder and roughly pushed her away. Ulquiorra turned and quickly walked out the door with out looking back. He quickly made sure the door was securely closed before he turned his back to the wall, leaning against it. He stared at the adjacent wall, a stoic mask plastered on his face. It betrayed the bouncing feelings that were flying through his confused mind.

_What was that?_

She had just given Ulquiorra her first kiss, and he had run away from her in disgust. A small tear rolled down Orihime's cheek. What had she been thinking? Ulquiorra was an Espada, one of the enemies. Why had she done that? What had made her kiss him? All these thoughts running through her head. She should have known this would happen. She laid on her bed staring out the small window as she tried to work out her thoughts.

Ulquiorra had been shocked. The woman had the nerve to slap him yet again, but then she had kissed him. She was a strange one. Not only that, but her emotions seemed to always ride the same roller coaster that he could not understand. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the specific spot on the track it was, and never knew when she was about to go into a barrel roll or a free fall. He found himself thinking about the kiss. Ulquiorra ran the pads of his fingers along his lips, as if to try and feel the emotions that had gone into it.

_It...feels good._

He couldn't place the emotion he kept feeling. Although, what he didn't know was that it was not from the kiss that he was feeling this way...it was from himself. He removed his fingers, letting his soft tongue gently taste the residue of hers.

_It...tastes good._

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he pushed himself away from the wall. He began to walk down the halls, no clear destination in sight, only away from these feelings that were now beginning to swallow him into their embrace. Such distractions could not be afforded. He had to keep is head clear and calm. He had to remember what his mission was. He was Aizen's puppet, just a pawn in Aizen's plans. He feared the hole that was becoming smaller and smaller around his mission. He was beginning to think less and less about it, even as he merely walked down the hallways.

"What is happening to me?" he mumbled under his breath, only audible to the thick fog of confusion that was enveloping him.

* * *

Make sure to check out the original author's page, and the original story. Thank you SOOO much for letting me rewrite this, i hope you approve ^^

Story URL: .net/s/5959738/1/  
Author URL: .net/u/2010895/

Original Title: The Saddest Smile

And of course if you would be SO kind as to drop off a review, maybe tell me how bad my spelling and grammer are? ^^; It's been a while since i wrote anything other then school-related papers.

Cheers


	2. That Feeling

Sorry all D: ik im a noob for making excuses, but i had a commission for an art piece and sooo...i had to work on that . FORGIVE ME! X3 Yeah i still didn't come up with this story, nor did i ever in my life or a second or third life, come up with Bleach, so don't say i didn't warn ya. I used a book for grammer reference (yeah ik i own a book wtf?) so hopefully whatever was wrong in the first one has been fixed...hopefully.

Original Story by RavenDark013 can be found here - /s/5959738/1/ - (copy this in the URL bar after .net) Used under full written permission of the original author.

Enjoy my home skillets :D

* * *

For the next week, Ulquiorra refused to talk to her unless it was truly necessary. He would bring Orihime her meals in silence every day, three times a day. It became like clockwork, the same time every day, down the minute. The only other time he would ever come to see her was to fetch her when she was needed by Aizen.

Ulquiorra made contact impossible by standing five feet away at all times. He locked himself in his thoughts, making him a prisoner to his own feelings.

_All because in reality, he was _afraid_ of them...afraid of what they will make him..._

Orihime was hurt by his actions, and had tried to talk to him when he would come to her room. Ulquiorra could see this, plain as day. The girl wore her emotions on her sleeve for the world to see. He couldn't face her, not yet; he would simply leave without ever saying a word to her.

The next week Orihime decided not to talk to him at all when he came to deliver her meals.

_He can taste his own medicine._

At first, Ulquiorra was pleased by the silence. He would have the pleasure of walking in to a quiet room, empty of unwanted, meaningless talk. He would simply walk in, set the food down on the table in the corner of the room, and leave. She knew the "eat your food or I will shove it down your throat" speech in its entirety, leaving him with nothing that needed to be said.

After three days, he became unsettled by this constant silence.

_I should be enjoying this, so why is it quickly becoming annoying?_

* * *

It was time for the woman's dinner. He led the way to her room as a lowly arrancar followed behind, pushing the cart that help her food. The sounds of the wheels against the white tile floor, the clanging of the silverware on the cart, and the echoing of their footsteps was the only sound that transacted between them. He did not consider this trash behind him to be worth his time nor his energy to speak to. Then again, he wasn't a talkative being anyway.

The grace of his steps were unparalleled. He never faltered, and never took a step too big nor too small. His eyes remained on the way ahead, maintaining the constant stoic expression. Like his grace, his blank mask never faltered, either.

He stopped in front of Orihime's door. Behind him he could hear the wheels and the clanging stop. He felt a wave of control, which was his norm. It made him feel comfortable, like everything was okay with him. Even though it had only been a couple weeks, they had dragged on longer than he ever could have imagined. He felt like he had been ripped from his normal routine, like an obstacle had been thrown into his path that he just could not get around. He longed to feel that sense of normalcy wash him away again. Ulquiorra did not like this new change.

"I'm coming in," he announced from outside the door. The massive slab of concrete began to move as if it weighed nothing, at only the sound of his voice. The servant waited for his permission to enter the room, staying outside.

The door opened to reveal Orihime, laying on the sofa on her side, facing the adjacent wall. Her eyes were unwavering, and she didn't even bother to move when he entered. Ulquiorra said nothing, the only sound that resonated was once again, the sound of his footsteps, elegant as ever. He walked into her line of sight and turned to look at her. She neglected to move. Hands buried deep in his pockets, he walked across the room to her. He stopped right before his toes would hit the side of the sofa, and looked down to study her. This was the closest he had allowed himself to get to the woman for quite some time now. Even then, he could start to feel that ache, that fear. His deep green eyes stayed on her, even though she still didn't make a move. Her only movement was the soft and steady motion of her chest, following her breaths in perfect sync.

_She is not afraid of me?_

Feeling any more of this silent game would be a waste of his time, Ulquiorra finally spoke, saying, "I have brought you your meal."

She finally blinked, taking in a deep breath before signing heavily. Her eyes fluttered closed.

Ulquiorra turned his head over his left shoulder, calling, "enter." The servant obediently pushed the cart in. He pushed it over to Ulquiorra's position, stopping by his side. The servant worked quickly to set up everything on the cart, down to the T, just as Ulquiorra had told him he expected it. One thing you learned very fast being a servant, was that you did _not_ disobey anyone, _especially _Ulquiorra.

Ever.

Once everything was to his master's standards, he bowed with high respect, and backed up while still facing him. It was considered very disrespectful to show the master your back, unless you were farther away. When he was far enough away, he turned on his heels, making the least amount of sound he could, and walked out of the room, thankful he had not messed up.

"Woman, you must eat," Ulquiorra broke the silence with his deep voice. He remained above her, trying to find any new and undiscovered reason for her defiance. He wanted to understand, but every time he thought he had her figured out, she would throw a curve ball, leaving him back at square one.

Yet, Ulquiorra knew Orihime better than this. She was being too quiet. It was wrong and out of character for her to be this quiet. This was more than the simple defiance that he was accustomed to. He wondered if she was ill. Aizen wanted her alive; Ulquiorra could not have her dying on his watch.

"Are you ill woman?" he asked. "You have not spoken in days, and though I have enjoyed the silence, I cannot have you die." Orihime sighed once again. She had hoped that maybe he was concerned about her. Even she knew that this was hoping for the impossible.

"I'm fine, I just don't want to talk to you because you're… you're a jerk," she spat at him angrily. Her brows furrowed as she turned over on her other side on the sofa, giving him her back. She didn't care what he had to say anymore, and she showed it. Never had she met anyone so uncaring as him. Even normal bad guys cared, even if it was just about winning and such. He just looked at her, drinking in her image. His mind processed every pixel of information his eyes took in, just as a computer would, _a machine._ Ulquiorra spun on his heels gracefully, closing his eyes. He then left the room, content in knowing that he would not have any trouble. Ulquiorra closed the door to the cell, and continued walking down the endless white hallways of Las Noches. The lights above were harsh on his eyes, which only added to a headache that was coming on with ravaging force. Ulquiorra stopped and walked to the right side wall, leaning his back and head against it. A constant ringing began to sound in his ears, which only made him feel all the worse. Why did this seem to always happen to him? These headaches were becoming a burden, and were also becoming more and more frequent. His mind floated back to a piece of literature he had read not too long ago, about the effects of drugs and stimulants on the human body.

* * *

_'How any being could be so weak as to let something take over their existence is beyond my point of knowledge,' Ulquiorra thought to himself as he kept reading. _

_The main role of drugs in the brain is to reward and stimulate the "pleasure center" of the brain. This causes a sense of euphoria in the user, which gives them the feeling of happiness and well-being. Physical dependence occurs when the body has become used to or addicted a substance or feeling. The body becomes tolerant of this, and goes into a state of withdrawal when this is suddenly taken away or reduced drastically. Drug addiction is a common form of this. Addiction affects many different parts of the human brain, including the Prefrontal Cortex, which experiences sudden mood changes when using these drugs. These manufactured drugs often work the same way naturally occuring hormones work. The hormone Adrenaline is produced by the Adrenal Gland, which sits on the kidney. When Adrenaline is pumped into the body, the person's heart rate rapidly increases, and senses become sharper, and signals go out for the flood of glucose into the blood. This is a response to a dangerous situation, and the body reacts by giving the person more energy and ability to either fight, or escape the situation. It also creates the "adrenaline rush", which is what drug users are looking for. Withdrawal is a dangerous occurance when the body is suddenly missing this substance. __Symptoms of withdrawal can range from a slight change in behavior to total insanity or suicide, depending on the drug or feeling. Symptoms usually decrease over time, but usually they become so bad, that the addict begins the drug or feeling again, despite significant harm, just to stop the withdrawal._

Ulquiorra gave a low groan; he knew this was what the literature had been talking about. His head hung forward to try and shield his eyes from the now blinding light from above. He brought the pads of his right hand's fingers and pressed them to his right temple, rubbing in deep circles as his eyes closed. Even with this, relief evaded him.

_Come closer, Ulquiorra..._

Air rushed into his lungs. His eyes snapped open and he ceased all movement at his mind's choice of day-dream. There was no face to match the voice, but he knew all too well who it was. He stared at his hand, then turned his head both ways to see if anyone had been watching him. How could he be having these thoughts? Was he really addicted? And if so, to what? No matter how much the answer gnawed at his mind, he couldn't bring himself to admit it, the truth. It would be the end of him.

Ulquiorra gave a sigh, a rarity in itself for him to show any type of annoyance. He flattened both his forearms against the wall he was currently leaning on, and pushed himself away from it. He continued his path down the hallway. He decided it was best to just ignore the pounding in his head until he could reach his quarters. It seemed he couldn't get there fast enough, like the hallways were morphing around him, to make him stop and think about that little contagious idea that was crawling deeper and deeper with every step, into his thoughts.

A sudden enormous pressure was upon him. His pupils narrowed as he stopped walking, widening his stance so he could keep his balance. He caught his face in his left hand, groaning in discomfort. His right hand shot out to the right side of the hallway, his hand spread out against its surface for added balance. The headache had increased ten-fold in an instant. His groans of pain reached the ears of a servant arrancar, who was walking down the hallway in the opposite direction. He stopped a safe distance for the pained creature in front of him, still fully aware of the danger Ulquiorra presented, even in his pained state. "Lord Schiffer forgive me, but are you alright sir?" the little servant asked him in a weak voice, to further prove he meant not threat.

Ulquiorra struggled to regain his composure, leaning harder against his right hand and the wall for support has he brought his legs together and raised his head. He opened his eyes to look at the servant, "Do not concern yourself with me."

He fought the groan that was creeping up his throat. He watched with uninterested eyes as the servant bowed, before continuing his path down the hallway. He too, continued to walk, giving himself a push with his hand against the wall.

He finally reached his quarters, opening the door using his unique spiritual signature. The door opened with ease, and he walked into the dark room. Ulquiorra immediately felt slight relief, being in his own space without the blinding lights. Strangely, the air within the room seemed very hot, and he could feel a bead of sweat begin to form on his face.

_The cooling unit must be malfunctioning._

There was just enough light that he could make out all of the furniture in the room, which was nothing more than a table and chairs, a large sofa, and a rather oversized bed. Taking a deep breath, he stumbled over to the bed. The comforter was a charcoal gray, coupled with white linens. It didn't matter one way or the other to him what color they were. He let himself fall onto the bed, rolling over so he was lying on his back, facing the high ceiling.

He laid there for a couple minutes, and was still in discomfort because of this heat. After a sigh, he reached up to grasp his jacket zipper and pulled it down until the two sides separated. The fabric fell off to their respective sides of him, revealing his skin to the air. The gothic '4' tattoo slowly rose and fell with his breath.

_His mark, his brand as a slave..._

A wave of heat escaped him, and finally he was able to close his eyes, letting his whole body go limp on the soft bed. It wasn't long then until darkness swept him over, and sleep consumed him.

* * *

Orihime and himself continued with their little dance of who could ignore who longer for another week. It was on a day that Ulquiorra had come to fetch her for Aizen that it ended. When they got back to her room he intended to leave quickly, but that did not happen.

"Ulquiorra, why are you so cold to everyone?" Orihime asked him as he was turning to leave. She was sitting on the sofa, her head turned to face him. She was bent over, her forearms resting on her thighs.

"Because they are all trash," he said in the same cool tone he always used. His mask was firmly in place, and she was not going to break through it, nor was he going to let her have so much control over him.

_Not again, woman._

She looked at him shocked. How could he say such a thing? Calling others trash. Then it hit her that he was calling her trash as well. She quickly got up and ran up to him planning to slap him. Just as her hand was about to come into contact with his face, Ulquiorra caught it. Orihime was surprised at first, but then she did the last thing he had expected after weeks of the silent treatment. She kissed him...again. Once again he pushed her away, but this time instead of leaving her asked her a question.

"Why so you keep doing that?" He showed slight irritation as he asked this. Orihime was surprised to see this small amount of emotion from him. She didn't respond, only kept her eyes locked to his. Ulquiorra quickly regained his composure, his mask of indifference safely in place. He left the room quickly before she could pull anything else. He could not let her get to him like this again.

Orihime just stood there after he had left. Why did she keep kissing him? The first time she had kissed him it had been an impulse. Some strange urge had overcome her. His lips had been thin but soft and she had felt a weird shock when they had made contact with hers. So why had she kissed him the second time?

* * *

OMG hey thanks for stickin with me yall ^^ If you see anything, i mean ANYTHING, that is wrong, PLEASE for the love of god tell me so i can fix it. And if you haven't figured it out already, original link is up at the top of the page with the name of the author. Next update will hopefully come sooner :D

Cheers


	3. The Art of Submission

HEYZ ALL YALL X3 How we all doin? *cricket chirp* Fantastic. So yeah you have stumbled upon the next installment of The Saddest Smile Reloaded which btw is NOT my original idea. And omg guess what? O_O I DONT OWN BLEACH EITHER! :O yeah ik weird huh? Anyway, yeah if i did own bleach this would have happened a long time ago...

Original Story by RavenDark013 can be found here - /s/5959738/1/ - (copy this in the URL bar after .net) Used under full written permission of the original author.

* * *

Nothing moved, as if the land itself was dead. The sky was dark, lifeless. The only light was that of the endless moon. It's rays seemed to reflect off the equally endless desert, giving the white sand its ominous glow.

It only made it look more lonely...

Ulquiorra sat alone on top of one of the towers in Las Noches. He sat cross-legged, overlooking his master's domain, his arms resting gracefully in his lap. His stunning green eyes didn't focus on one particular object, instead they seemed to just stare into the empty space. What little life they held was being wasted on nothing, it seemed.

Ulquiorra couldn't seem to clear his head. Every time he tried to think of something, a certain _someone_ would invade his thoughts. Why is it that he couldn't stop thinking about her? Did he, the Fourth Espada, the one void of any emotions, really feel for this woman? Why was he becoming so weak? Emotions were weakness, weren't they? He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, flaring his nostrils as air rushed in. It was thin, barren, lifeless. Ulquiorra shook his head gently, opening his eyes once again. They searched the wasteland surrounding him, trying to find something to attach these feelings he was being plagued with to, but alas, he couldn't find anything that was fit to hold them.

_Nothing here is beautiful enough for these feelings._

Ulquiorra's thoughts floated back to Orihime. His glorious eyes closed once again as he sighed. He had felt a strange spark each time she had kissed him. It was starting to bother him. Why did she keep kissing him? More importantly, why did he keep thinking about it?

* * *

For the next few days a lower arrancar brought Orihime her meals. The servant would walk into the dark room, pushing the cart topped with food and eating utensils. Orihime never looked at the servant, for he wasn't who she truly wanted to see. No, she would just continue staring out the single window in her cell, and after the servant would leave, she would mosey on over to the cart to see what was brought to her. If it was even worth her attention that is. She figured she hadn't seen Ulquiorra in a couple days, so no one was going to force the food down her throat after she didn't eat it. Though her stomach cried for food, she would not give into her body, to her captors.

After determining that the food was not worth her pride, she turned her head from it, and began to walk over to the sofa across the room. She sat down on the white piece of furniture, resting her forearms on her legs. _Is it better to hurt or feel nothing at all?_ She couldn't answer the question for herself. Sure, she was in pain, but what kind? Was hunger really the only pain she was feeling? Or was it something else...loneliness.

He knew she would be upset, but Ulquiorra just needed to see if time was what he required to clear his head of these poisonous thoughts.

_Sweet, sweet poison._

It was incredibly selfish of him to knowingly hurt her, and still agree with himself to do it, and he knew damn well. He also knew that if Aizen found out that he was causing her this emotional abuse, he would be severely punished. Ulquiorra would no doubt be beaten, and even demoted if Aizen was in a foul mood that day. That was not an option, he couldn't let himself fall to the same level as that barbarian Grimmjow. Such things were below him. Ulquiorra tried to look at the situation in a different perspective, _his own _instead of Aizen's. He saw it as he was protecting her, from himself. Every time he was with her, he could feel that control that he was so comfortable with, slip away through his fingers, like sand in a desert. It would be sucked out of his eyes as he stared into hers. Why did she have this power over him, this...control? It was a startling thought, and he immediately shunned it to the back of his mind. But even he knew that if you lock up a raging beast, it will only grow and grow, until you finally let it out and defeat it once and for all.

When Ulquiorra returned to his duty of taking care of her he did not say much. It was his way of trying desperately to hold onto that sand-like control that he held inside.

* * *

_Fight. Flight. Avoidance. Submission._

Avoidance. It was the only option for him really. He couldn't hurt her, and he tried to convince himself that it was because of Aizen's orders, and only that. His sub-conscious knew better, and would reject the thought every time. He couldn't run away, such things were weak and would undoubtedly scar his pride. He couldn't submit to this woman either. It was unheard of and insane to even think of such a thing. She was a human, and humans were something that should never be respected.

_What makes Aizen so special then?_ He clenched his fist in his pocket, letting his eyes squeeze shut. _Fool, Aizen-sama is the bond that holds this palace together, and he controls everything within it._

Orihime wondered if he had been away on a mission or if he had just been avoiding her. She hoped that it had just been a mission but her guts told her it had been the latter. She wanted to ask him, but every time she would begin to open her mouth to speak, he would quickly leave, as if he knew what was coming. She may have been naïve, but she knew what was happening, she knew he was avoiding her, but for what reason she didn't know. _He just can't stand me..._

* * *

Orihime woke up the next day with her mind set on what she had to do. She had to kiss him and see if that spark was there like it was the last two times. Orihime waited patiently for Ulquiorra to come to her room to deliver her breakfast, which she knew the time was fast approaching. To pass the time, Orihime stared aimlessly at the squares of light that made their ways through the bars on the window. When she heard the familiar sounds of footsteps outside her door, she felt her stomach come to life with butterflies.

Without a word the door opened, and a beam of light announced his presence. She could hear him give quiet orders to the servant who pushed the cart carrying her meal on it. He walked to the center of her room, seeing her blank expression. He however, made no expression at all as he turned and waved the servant out of the room. It left the cart at Ulquiorra's side, gave a slight bow, and left, closing the door behind. After the door was securely shut, he moved with determined steps over to the bed. When he could move no closer, the mattress pushed against his legs, he looked down at the woman. Like magnets of opposite poles, their eyes locked with each other. The battle was on. That control that he had worked so hard on his time away to keep, was sliding right through his eyes, the doorways to his soul. He was afraid of what would happen if that reserve suddenly ran out, and she became at the mercy of an uncontrolled monster. She would no doubt be hurt physically, and most likely emotionally. He turned away, he had to. The second he did, he cursed himself for being so submissive. From behind his back, his eyes darted frantically back and forth, trying to find a way out of this situation he had dove himself into. He was starting to lose his cool. He wouldn't let her take anything else away from him, not if he could help it at least. The emotionless expression soon found its place once again. A thought of relief passed in front of his mind. "Your meal is ready woman, eat now," he said, his back still turned to her.

This was her chance, and she knew it. Orihime sat up in her bed, and got to her feet. She made her way around Ulquiorra and to the food cart, which was placed in front of him. He watched her carefully as she examined what adorned the cart. He failed to see any type of happiness as she looked at it. There was a silent moment as each of them waited for the other to say something, but nothing ever came. "I'm not going to eat," she finally announced. The silence was shattered, like a rock through a window pane.

It was that bit of defiance that was once again starting to gnaw at his self control. His upper lip twitched, exposing a white canine tooth only for a split second, but luckily no one bared witness to this slip of control. Her head moved to meet his face, as she began to come closer to him. A fleeting feeling within him started to spasm, but he shoved it down. She walked up to him her face set, her mind made up. She looked up at him her gray eyes staring deeply into his vivid green ones. She reached out with one of her hands and caught the front of his shirt gripping it tight in her fist. She then leaned in and kissed him. That same spark traveled through her, the one she had been searching for. At first he tried to push her away but she held fast to his shirt hoping to keep him there. He decided to give in. What could it hurt to let it happen this one time?

He found himself enjoying the feel of her lips against his. Ulquiorra brought one hand up to tangle it in her auburn locks. Her arms wrapped around him pulling Ulquiorra closer. He couldn't think straight, all he wanted was more of this feeling. Any last bit of control he'd had, was now long gone. He didn't think, he just did. Ulquiorra lightly bit at her lip. She gasped and he took his chance to slip his tongue into Orihime's mouth. She tasted sweet like strawberries on a summer day. His tongue touched hers and they fought for dominance. Ulquiorra won the struggle and began to explore this part of her. Before long they had to pull apart for air. He looked deep into her gray blue eyes. Orihime's eyes were glazed with passion.

"Foolish woman," he said with a kindness that seemed uncharacteristic for him. His eyes slowly slid shut once again, and a slow breath escaped out his parted lips. These feelings were much more powerful than he ever could have conceived. Her hands made their ways up to his broad shoulders, grasping onto them. His face lowered to meet hers in a slow kiss. Their faces moved apart with the same lack of speed. Orihime put slight pressure on his shoulders, and he began to move backwards to her will. He moved back until he could no more, and his knees bent to let him sit on the bed behind him. Then, he could feel it, that thought he had locked away in the back of his mind. The lock was coming undone, quickly. He knew what he had locked it up as, but what had it become while jailed away? _That,_ was what he didn't know, and it bothered him. His hands moved to grip the edge of the mattress with force as he fought with his own thoughts. Orihime lowered her forehead to rest it on Ulquiorra's. They were complete opposites, in mind and body. She was a human, he was a monster. She embraced her feelings and wore them on her sleeve for all to see, he hid from them, and let no one see what he was really thinking. She was in a state of complete calm and bliss, while he was fighting an unseen battle with his greatest enemy, _himself._

He took in a deep breath, inhaling her scent. It was almost enough to push his struggling mind to rest, and if he had been off guard, it would have. It had to stop, no matter how much his body screamed at him to sit still, he couldn't hurt Orihime. His hands pulled her arms from his shoulders, letting her hands slide across his as he let her go. Eyes still closed, he mumbled, "I can't hurt you." She looked at him with a strange look as their eyes once again met. This time, she brought her fists up to her mouth and tried to suppress the look of pain that crept up on her. Before he had to bear witness to her crying because of him, he got up and headed for the door, leaving her to think. A tear began to fall from her eye. She was beginning to fall for him. He was so cold and cruel and yet she could not help but feel for him. He stole one last look at her from the corner of his eye before he left, closing the door behind himself. She stood in the same position, wondering what had she done wrong, what had happened? What could have happened? It didn't matter now, he was gone, and she would be surprised if he ever returned.

* * *

Ulquiorra was leaned against the wall, right outside the woman's cell. He couldn't bear to move any farther away, or that pain in his chest would return. His face was towards the ceiling, his eyes shut, mouth slightly agape. The white lights of the hallway shone down on him, further bleaching his white skin. Why had he kissed her back like that? He should have just pushed her away and left like before, but something had stopped him. Something he could not explain, nor identify. He had felt that weird shock on his lips again. It had felt pleasant.

The next few times he went to her room she had welcomed him with a smile and when he would leave she would give him a kiss. These had not been as passionate as the first one he had allowed. She had seemed almost relieved to see him, especially the first time he had returned since their last encounter. He would let him kiss her and then leave as if nothing had happened.

One day when she kissed him before he was about to leave he kissed back. He had been enjoying each kiss a little more each time, like a cup that was being slowly filled by each drip of water from a leaking faucet. This time, he could not hold back. One hand snaked around her waist while the other tangled into her hair. She placed her hands on his chest, feeling Ulquiorra's strong muscles. Orihime licked his bottom lip asking for entry. He complied, their tongues became intertwined. The kiss broke when they could no longer breathe. Orihime was panting for air, her heart beating rapidly. Ulquiorra looked slightly flush but other than that he was unaffected. Again he left feeling strange.

* * *

AAHHHH! my greatest allergy of all, school, is about to start in a week or 2. Yeah, thats how allergic i am to it, i havent even found out what day it starts :O hope u guys at least enjoyed it a little bit cuz i enjoy writin it :3 So tell me this, how do u think my persona of Ulqui is going? too OOC or u likin it? Let me know, thx all meh home skillets. Original story link at the top of the page, go to it :D

Cheers


	4. All Is Lost

yo yo yo what up mah h0m3 51ic35 (home slices for those who dont speak 1337 "leet") X3 Get ready for another installment of...of...this story! WOOT! So this one goes out to all u peeps who reviewed, guys you made me so happy and i cant tell you enough how much i appreciate all your kind words. So thanks so much, and this is for you. It is now past midnight here, and i am not tired yet, but you know what happens late at night when you have had caffine dont you? Yeah, u start gettin weird. Ok so just so i dont ruin anything for anyone out there, this chapter does contain fluff (because i luv it .) and a mix of lemon/lime. I left a lot of the actual "scene" the way it was, just fixed some of the errors with grammar and things. Now, lets get ready to RUMBLE! \m/(.)\m/

Original Story by RavenDark013 can be found here - /s/5959738/1/ - (copy this in the URL bar after .net) Used under full written permission of the original author.

* * *

Time seemed to be going by slower than ever for Ulquiorra now. All he could think about was Orihime, about what had happened. Was that was it felt like to lose that control? He had nothing to base it off of, since he was always in control of himself, _always. _For the next two weeks when he would come to her room, they would actually talk. He would walk in, present her meal, and then they would take a seat on the sofa. Orihime would talk and he would listen, nodding or saying what he thought about what she had said. Most of the time it was not her words that he was paying attention to, but the way her face moved, her expressions, her emotions. As much as he detested these cursed things, they grabbed his interest like no other, and would not let go of its firm grasp. After it was time for him to leave, they would both stand and share a kiss. He then left the room, but did not always leave the outside of the door immediately. Sometimes, he would linger outside against the wall, processing every piece of information he was given.

However, this time was much different. While Uquiorra walked to Orihime's room, he did not have a meal with him, in fact it was the middle of the day, and nowhere near time for her to eat. Why was he going then? Not even he knew the answer to that question, but his body seemed to be unshakable in its desire to get to the woman's room, and quickly. The echo of footsteps against hard marble floors stopped as he stood in front of the woman's cell door. Last minute doubts started to flood him, and he no longer knew what to do. He stood silently, staring at the door in front of him, unmoving. Finally after what was a minute or two, he took a deep breath, a rarity that had been becoming more and more common during the past weeks. He grasped the handle of the door and twisted it until the lock clicked, and the door released. The door slowly opened, and revealed Orihime laying on the white sofa. Ulquiorra could tell that she had been sleeping, and that he had awoken her from her sleep. She turned her head up to meet his eyes. Immediately he regret looking into the gray doors to her soul. He could feel her reading what was poorly concealed within his own. What was it about these emotions that made him so weak, so human? Was it really emotions that make people human? A plethora of questions were now swarming his mind, so much so that he actually forgot what he had been doing. The woman was picking up on this seemingly lifeless stare, more lifeless than normal, and softly cleared her throat, hoping to snap him out of this. She knew this type of visit was not normal, and although she would not ask him, she wondered why he had come. Luckily for her and the awkwardness of the situation, he did snap out of his trans-like state at the sudden noise. His eyes blinked fully a couple times, before he then returned her stare once again. A smile found its way onto her face as she closed her eyes and sat up on the sofa. Though his behavior was strange to her, she didn't mind his visit. Just the feeling of having another being in the same room was comforting. Ulquiorra's eyes remained glued to the woman. He suddenly felt his feet begin to move beneath him, bringing him closer and closer to the woman. How he managed to maintain the stoic face through it all, he didn't know, but he thanked the maker for it. She knew from then on that this time would not be like the rest.

She stood from the sofa and they met with barely half a foot between them. Warmth could be felt radiating off both of their bodies. Each of them could feel it, and each of them knew what the other wanted...each other. Orihime however, was a bit skeptical of his intentions. Did he plan to give her love? Or to just play with her emotions, as the other Espada commonly thought of as humorous. She quickly devised a simple plan in her head, one that would tell her for sure what she was going up against. Her arms began to wrap around his neck and pulled her body up tight against his. She felt a sigh escape his agape mouth as both of their eyes closed at the sensation. A smiled filled with victory traced her lips as she felt his arms encircle her waist. She had won.

A deep inhale from her captured his scent in her nose, ad she immediately stored it away in her memory. She could not describe it, for it didn't really smell like another object or scent she had ever smelled. It was simply his, and that was all that mattered to her. His lips began to drag down her forehead, then the side of her face until they met with her own. The heat was now measurable to both of them. Orihime was surprised by his forwardness, he had always let her start the kiss. It started slow and sensual, but the pace soon quickened, almost to a desperate one. He nibbled at her bottom lip. Orihime then deepened the kiss letting his tongue play with her own. They kissed until air was needed.

"Ulquiorra?" she asked once she had caught her breath. He did not reply, just kissed her again greedily. She kissed him back, loving how demanding he was being. It showed her that he really wanted this, and she knew damn well it took two to make a relationship. Once again, they stopped. She wanted him to take her. Ulquiorra had been her first kiss and now she wanted her first time to be with him.

* * *

This was getting way out of hand. Way too fast, way too soon, and way too much. He suddenly let his arms drop to his side, and he stopped all his movements. Those dangerous thoughts were returning, and the sand-like control was once again flowing right out of his being. He pulled away, and without saying a word, Ulquiorra turned to leave the room. Orihime had come this far, and let her be damned if she was going to just let him walk out on her like this. He was not going to be allowed just play with her like this. She found herself reaching out to grab his arm, "wait."

"What do you want woman?" he asked her, truly curious. Orihime froze, not sure how to word what she wanted. She began to blush under Ulquiorra's intense stare.

She remained silent, averting her eyes downward towards the floor. He looked slightly annoyed now.

"Out with it woman. I do not have all day."

"Don't leave me..." she said so quietly, he had to strain to hear it. A tear cascaded down her cheek. A strangled, silent cry escaped her mouth. Her eyes sealed shut, as if to shut away his unacceptable attitude. This however, could not have been farther from what he was really feeling inside. He didn't in fact want to leave at all, but he was prepared to for her own safety. Ulquiorra could never let her know this though. He cared so much for her, and his only and greatest fault was that he didn't know how to express it, to put another's feelings before his own pride. He didn't have emotions right? So how would he know how to do this? Orihime then felt a heated hand wipe away a tear from her face. She looked up into Ulquiorra's bright green eyes.

"Do not cry Orihime," he whispered softly. It was her turn to look at him with shock. He had called her Orihime and not woman. Ulquiorra had never used her name before. He lifted her into his arms and carried Orihime to her bed. He laid her down gently. Ulquiorra then laid in the bed beside her. He wrapped an arm around Orihime and brought her in for another kiss. She kissed him back passionately, their tongues gliding against one another. They broke apart for air. Ulquiorra let one hand travel to her breast. Even fully clothed, it felt wonderful. Orihime let her hand travel to the zipper on his jacket. She slowly unzipped it until his muscular chest was fully exposed. Tentatively she reached out and ran her hand over Ulquiorra's muscles. He then moved his hand to reach under her top. The soft flesh of her bosom felt nice in his hand. Orihime moaned lightly as he massaged he breast and pinched her nipple. Ulquiorra rolled Orihime onto her back and removed her top. She blushed and looked away as he took in the sight of her perfectly perky breast. He leaned down and kissed Orihime again. His hands found their way to her breast again. She moaned into the kiss, deepening it. What Ulquiorra was doing to her breast felt amazing. His hands groped them and his thumbs ran over her hardened nipples. Her breasts were so soft in his hand. Ulquiorra was enjoying himself as he played with her hard nipples. Plus, he loved the delicious sounds she was making. Orihime's soft moans and mewls were causing his member to become erect. He wanted to feel more of her. One of Ulquiorra's hands traveled lower to the waist band of her skirt. It slipped under the fabric. His fingers finding her hot womanhood. Orihime gasped lightly at the feel of his fingers rubbing over the sensitive flesh. He was unsure of how to proceed so Ulquiorra followed the sounds she made as he massaged the outer flesh of her womanhood. He then slipped one of his fingers into Orihime's tight heat. It was so tight and wet. Ulquiorra moved them slightly causing her to moan. He couldn't take much more of this. Ulquiorra wanted to be inside her feeling that tight heat around his hardened length. He removed his hand from Orihime's skirt and began pulling it down. Once she was fully nude he stopped to take in the sight of her beautiful form. She blushed and look away shyly. Ulquiorra then removed the rest of his clothes. _All is lost._

"This may hurt Orihime, just hold on to me," he warned her, leaning down to her ear. She nodded. His face moved to her neck where he planted a loving kiss. Ulquiorra's mouth moved up to her lips once again. He kissed her deeply and began to enter her. She gasped into the kiss holding tightly onto him. Her nails dug deep into his shoulders and raked down his back, leaving vicious red marks on his bone white skin.

They made passionate love. When they had finished, Ulquiorra lay in the bed with Orihime in his arms. Her body rested on top of his, her forehead buried against his neck. She quickly fell asleep.

* * *

When she woke up, Orihime found herself in the same position she had fallen asleep in. Ulquiorra's hands were still secure with one at her hip, and one on her back, holding her to him. Her head rose and fell with the steady breathing of Ulquiorra, who was still asleep under her. Her fingers idly traced the hollow hole in his chest, later straying from it and moving around his pectoral muscle. With every breath, his scent became more etched into her memory. It only brought her more relief. The expression on his face was very relaxed and peaceful, something she rarely saw. She was only used to seeing the blank stare that he normally had on. It saddened her to think that he only experienced peace while sleeping. That the rest of his day was bombarded with pain and loneliness.

His eyes began to open slowly, met with the beautiful sight of Orihime. His eyes drank in the burning color of her hair as he moved his hand from her back to tangle it in said hair. His other hand moved its way up her back to replace where the other had left. She moved her head up, supporting herself on her forearms against his chest, to meet her lips with his dual colored ones. Both their eyes were closed in bliss, and neither had a thought going through their heads which wasn't about the other. They were both perfectly comfortable, completely content with the other. Ulquiorra let loose a low moan that shook from deep in his throat. After both needed air, Orihime rested her forehead on his. They didn't need their eyes to see the other, they both knew that for once, the sense of sight was not important. Every once in a while one would stray from the position and slightly raise their head to kiss the cheek of the other, before returning. Orihime moved down and rested her head once again on Ulquiorra's chest under his neck, safely tucked away. The moment could not have been more perfect, and each of them knew that.

The door opened. Both of their eyes flew open, and Orihime's stomach plunged. Someone was coming in, and they would see her, like this! Ulquiorra's arms quickly encircled her, as if to shield her from unworthy eyes. They both turned their heads to face whoever was entering.

"I was wondering where my most _loyal_ Espada was," Aizen sneered, his voice dripping with fake kindness. He walked a bit closer until he was a couple feet from the bed. Ulquiorra's eyes never left his master. The control he had once felt in his current situation was now beginning to leave again, and I could feel instinct begin to set in. Instinct to protect what he cared for. His arm moved up to the back of Orihime's neck, pulling her head closer to his.

She had found herself in quite the situation. Would Ulquiorra choose to follow Aizen? Or would he stay with her? As much as she hated to say it, she didn't know who he would side with. Orihime knew he was extremely loyal to Aizen, but she also felt his feelings towards her.

"It seems you have become quite fond of MY fourth," Aizen said, "I know what goes on in my palace." Aizen and Ulquiorra were staring at each other, much like the way two rams face off before attacking each other. Neither was willing to give up on this challenge, and neither was going to back down.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen started out, his voice calm and collected. It betrayed what his face displayed on the outside. Ulquiorra was not in his normal mind set, and he did not see this being as his master anymore. No, he saw him as a threat. Instincts were known to be abnormally high in Arrancar, but they are usually easily controlled by what is around them. This time however, authority over the Espada was not in the hands of his master.

Aizen's pupils contracted as he watched the Espada softly press his lips to Orihime's forehead in defiance. Ulquiorra's eyes stayed on Aizen the whole time. This defiance was not something Aizen was used to having to deal with, especially from his fourth. The usually calm and rational Ulquiorra was never one to disobey or to fail him. _Orihime must have had a bigger impact on him than I expected._ He decided that he was going to see how far the Espada would let him go before he snapped. This animalistic state surely would be broken if Ulquiorra could realize what was happening, right? Aizen decided to try. He began to move closer, and reached out with his hand until it grabbed a hold of Orihime's shoulder. She whimpered at how close he was, how tight his grip was. That was when she noticed that Ulquiorra's lip began to twitch, and underneath were sharp canine teeth. They were slightly longer than normal human canines. _Almost like a bat_ she thought. A cocky smile etched its way onto Aizen's face. _But he did not snap..._ he thought. Satisfied, Aizen removed his hand from the woman, and turned to exit.

"From now on I will be keeping a _very _close eye on what happens in this room," he paused, "your presence is required when you are...finished, Ulquiorra."

* * *

Ulquiorra was upset. He had let himself become weak. He had given in to that woman's wishes. Now Aizen was displeased with him. Ulquiorra was at a loss. Why had he given in? That was easy, he had wanted her. But why had he been so kind instead of just taking what he wanted? He had held her like a lover. Ulquiorra had made _love_ to that woman.

He paced down the hallways, food tray in hand. All that was on his mind was how he had acted. Why had he done that? Why had he defied Aizen and acted like a caged animal? Furthermore, he let his power become exposed and a part of his release show. Such weakness!

When Orihime's door opened, it was Ulquiorra with her dinner. She looked up at him her eyes all red and puffy. It took everything in him not to pull her close and kiss away the tears. "¡Estúpido! ¿Qué te ha entrado?"(Stupid! What has gotten into you?)

"Ulquiorra? Are you ok?" she asked.

"I am fine woman. Here is your dinner, eat or I will have to force you to eat." he said in a cold tone. Ulquiorra quickly left the room. He had to be cold with her. It was for the best for both of them. It would do him no good to become attached to her. It would be better for her if she saw him as just another enemy. He was apprehensive about being around her, thinking that he had scared her. Ashamed with himself, he couldn't bear to try and be around her.

Orihime ate her dinner reflecting on everything. One, she knew she loved him. Two, she knew he would never feel the same. Finally, she would let him go if that was truly what he wanted. She would not force him to be with her. But at the same time, she couldn't help feel rejected. After the beautiful night they had shared, why was she being pushed away now?

* * *

When he came to see if she had eaten, it was late in the night. The moon was as bright as ever, and the air around the palace was thin and arid. Ulquiorra found her already laying in bed when he arrived. He was unsure if she was awake because she was facing away from the door. Ulquiorra walked over to the bed and sat beside her.

Orihime felt the weight on the bed but she chose to ignore it. She knew it was better for both of them this way even though it hurt her deeply. She had to protect him from Aizen, in fear that he would punish him for being with her. It was her fault that Ulquiorra was in trouble anyway.

"Te amo Orihime,"(I love you) Ulquiorra said softly. He got up from the bed hoping not to wake her. He then left the room. _It all really is, lost..._

* * *

You like, yes? You hate, yes? Let me know. ik there is some ooc in this chapter and im sorry if i turned a lot of you away with it, again let me know what i can do. I aim to please here people. Free cake to those who leave a review :D Original story link at the top, go read it D

o and btw if you havent figured it out yet i dont own Bleach ^^

_EDIT: Thanks to LittleMargarita for a quick spanish correction :D_

Cheers


	5. I'd Come for You

Hello all my wonderful awesome pwnage readers X3 last chapter in this rewrite. I just want to get this over with now, i REALLY enjoyed hangin with u guys thru this, been fun. Hopefully we do it again sometime, yes? no? get away you creeper hobag? this is a story? o_O lawlz Ok so here are a few points before you get started. First, Aizen DOES NOT know about Ulquiorra's second release, only his first. Second, i didnt follow the last fight scene according to the show because personally i have a seizure everytime i think abou tit. Ulquiorra should have won, we all know it. Last, there were 3 songs i really got feelings from for this chapter (the end is a tear jerker for all you criers out there, me included) and they were:

I'd Come for You by Nickelback - .com/watch?v=UeNTNlOIz_0

This Land (from TLK original score, specifically 1:10 - 1:35) by Hans Zimmer - .com/watch?v=v_U4in8WeS0

Nearer My God to Thee (from Titanic) by Lowell Mason - .com/watch?v=0uc01ASDJT8

**Put these links into youtube and they will take you to the videos.**

AND without further wait, a disclaimer YAY

Original Story by RavenDark013 can be found here - /s/5959738/1/ - (copy this in the URL bar after .net) Used under full written permission of the original author.

* * *

Ulquiorra was called to the throne room. As he made his way down, he passed by numerous other arrancar. None of them had optimistic expressions on their faces, in fact they seemed more worried than usual. The Espada began to wonder what was wrong.

He found himself kneeling in front of Aizen waiting for his master to explain why he had be summoned, although he had a pretty good idea. It was no mystery that Aizen was not happy with him for what he had done with Orihime. The news of what had happened quickly made its way around the grapevine of the palace, and it wasn't long before everyone knew about it. News like that does not stay hidden for long. The others tried to hide what they knew from him as he would walk down the hallways, but he could read it plain as day on their faces. While most of the other Espada expected it to happen, it didn't stop Grimmjow and Nnoitra from completely ripping him to shreds for it. Although lucky for both him and them, Ulquiorra was blessed with his ability to shut out everything around him, and he paid no mind to their childish taunts.

"Cuatro, you disappoint me. I thought that you of all my Espada, would not be tempted by the flesh of a woman," Aizen said with a fake smile that belied his true anger. The Espada felt his insides clench. Aizen stood up, walking closer to Ulquiorra. His hand lifted Ulquiorra's chin so that their eyes met. There was a gleam in Aizen's eyes that would have scared anyone else in Ulquiorra's place.

"Worse yet, you held aggression against me. You let part of your release show, completely disobeying the rules of Las Noches," his hand squeezed the Espada's face tighter. "You know damn well that Espada with the ranking Four and up are never permitted to release within Las Noches," Aizen stared deeply into Ulquiorra's green eyes, but he did not falter. His resolve remained rock hard.

"Perhaps you would like to be demoted so you could be allowed to release?" Aizen taunted with a smirk. Ulquiorra said nothing, but on the inside he was feeling threatened. He had earned his rank, and was not going to have it taken away from him so easily.

"I would not," he answered his master in a low tone.

"You are nothing more than a lowly animal inside, aren't you?" he further taunted him.

"I am sorry Aizen-sama it will not happen again, forgive me" Ulquiorra said. What else was there to say? He couldn't even explain what happened to himself, let alone to Aizen. He smiled at Ulquiorra, pleased that the fourth Espada was being as cooperative as usual. He let go of Ulquiorra's chin.

"Get out of my sight," Aizen sneered, turning around and heading back to his thrown. He couldn't say that it was the fact that Ulquiorra was with Orihime, it was more his plan that he was worried about. He had specifically chosen Ulquiorra for this job because he was sure that he would not let her get under his skin. He had been proven wrong, and that didn't happen often. No matter though, Aizen would get it to work one way or the other, it just now needed to be twisted around a bit.

Ulquiorra rose from his kneeling position, and turned to leave the throne room. His head remained down as his intense eyes traced the floor underneath him. The conflicting thoughts in his head now led him to one right decision. Too long had he put up with this demoralizing punishment for doing what he was told. Too long had he dealt with a master who didn't even like him, didn't give the first care in the world to him. He was as good as dead to him, breathing was just a bonus. Not anymore. "Yo ya no soy tu títere,"(I am not your puppet anymore) Ulquiorra said under his breath as he left the room. He had told Aizen what he had wanted to hear, but the truth was that he was going to get her out of here. Ulquiorra no longer saw Aizen in the same light that he had once upon a time. He had always been used, and for some reason he had been okay with that, but now it was bothering him.

* * *

Orihime couldn't sleep. She laid awake for hours and hours, thinking about what Aizen could want with Ulquiorra. Whatever it was, she knew that she was going to be the cause of his pain. It was her fault that he was in trouble, her fault that she started all this. She took a deep breath, opening her eyes to the darkness. Did she _really_ regret what happened? Did she regret making love to Ulquiorra, her enemy? The one that kidnapped her, and brought her to this poisonous place? Regret giving into what both she and him wanted? Regret feeling those carnal instincts? Seeing what she saw, feeling what she felt, touching what she touched, so many things had happened. But, could anything had been better than waking up like she did with the one she _loved?_ _Yes,_ she decided, _I do love him. I regret nothing._

Her mind felt at ease. Finally she had accepted the truth as the truth, and was done denying it. One thing still troubled her, however. Orihime sat up in her bed, wondering what Ulquiorra had said when he had been there earlier. If only she understood Spanish. She need to figure out what he had said. It was most likely important if he had come during the middle of the night.

* * *

Ulquiorra moved quickly to Orihime's room. Time was closing in around him, and he had to complete this last task. He knew that Aizen was unhappy with him, and he had seen this before. _The soul never lasts more than a day at most before an "unfortunate accident" claims his life._ He couldn't let this happen before he got Orihime to safety. He had to get her safely out of there without Aizen knowing he had done it. If he were to fail this part, Aizen would no doubt come after both of them, and that was not allowed to happen. As luck would have it, Ulquiorra made it to the woman's room only to find that Grimmjow had taken her to heal her friend so they could battle. A powerful surge of anger hit him. A hiss of pent up anger escaped his lips. He left to go find them without another moment spared looking at the large hole in the wall.

* * *

Aizen paced back and forth in his personal quarters. He was beginning to doubt his Fourth Espada's loyalty, and this cause was this woman that he was convinced was valuable. No, she was indeed valuable, that much he knew for sure. He decided that he could now use the girl's feelings for Ulquiorra to make her more loyal. This could prove to be a good thing as long as his Espada did not pull another stunt like he had the other day. As long as they were away from each other, it would work. Satisfied with his work, a smirk came to his face. _That'll do nicely..._

* * *

Several battles took place before Orihime found herself alone in one of the towers with Ulquiorra. She ran towards him as he quickened his. Orihime pulled him into a tight embrace that he grasped onto. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his tightly pulled on her waist, pressing her body flush against his. Orihime pulled his face down to press her lips against his. The warmth that she felt, it was comforting. She knew without a doubt that Ulquiorra was safe, and she longed for something to hold onto that gave her this type of safety. Nothing in or about this place was safe.

Ulquiorra's expression may have always been hard and cold, but that could not have been farther away than how he was towards her. He was like a totally different person. His body was warm, his touch, gentle. His embrace, caring. He truly did care for her.

Orihime broke their kiss, "I thought for sure Aizen had punished you. It's all my fault." Ulquiorra moved his hands up to her face, cupping her cheeks.

"No, do not blame yourself. I was to blame...I arrived knowing what would happen," he admitted. In truth, he hadn't known that it would end like that, but he had that itch of a feeling.

It would not be long before Ichigo would show up to kill him and take her away from him. Time was slipping away, but the time he spent holding Orihime could not have been more precious to him. The thought of them not being together made him sick, made him feel powerless. He wanted nothing more than to just stay like this, forever.

Orihime let her head rest against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She knew this moment couldn't last forever, so she intended to enjoy every last second, and milk it for all its worth. His grip tightened around her back. The pits of their stomachs both felt that time was passing, and that every second grew closer to that moment when they would be forced apart. Although, both of them had different visions on how this would happen. "There isn't much time left," he finally spoke, after a few moments of silence. She looked up at him with a knowing look.

"I must ge-" he didn't get to finish, before a loud and confusing bang echoed through the room. The dust cleared to reveal the orange haired shinigami. Ulquiorra gently pushed Orihime behind him, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. His senses were sharp, and he was ready to defend his princess. After all that he had gone through to reach this point of emotional awareness, let him be damned if he was going to let it slip through his hands this easily. It was no longer duty for him, no, it was much more. Love, lust, fascination. There was no way this other male was going to take this away from him. Anger towards this other being was intense, and he wanted very badly to rid his presence of him. There was no escaping the imminent battle, but the fates of each of the competitor was not set in stone.

He stood ready for the battle to come. Ichigo did not waste any time get there. A few words were said between the two, then the fighting started.

Orihime watched with worry and horror as the two men she cared about the most fought. At first, it seemed that Ulquiorra had the upper hand but then Ichigo caught his arm surprising him. He was going to have to step it up a notch. The battle continued for a while, even when two lower Arrancar came up and were beating on Orihime. Then, Yammy and Uryuu join the scene. Uryuu made quick work of the tenth Espada. Ichigo and Ulquiorra made his way to the top of the dome of Las Noches. It was there that Ulquiorra entered his first release form. Everything was such a blur. It happened so fast.

Orihime asked Uryuu to take her to where Ulquiorra and Ichigo were fighting. He felt it was a bad idea but did as she wished. Somehow, he couldn't deny what she wanted. Once on the roof all she could do was watch.

By the time they made it to the roof, Ulquiorra was already in his second release form. She marveled at his form. So terrifying, yet graceful. She couldn't believe that this was what he really looked like, his true form. With the only light coming from the full moon low in the night sky, she could only catch the outline of his form, but even from just that she knew. He had not wanted her to see him like this, a terrible monster with an unquenchable thirst for souls. He resembled the devil himself, and had the tenacity of him as well. Yet, somehow it pleased him, pleased him to have her see his true form, what he really was. He no longer had to hide it, no longer had to pretend that it wasn't real. She could know every form he had, and that brought him comfort.

Orihime watched in horror as the two fought, and as Ichigo lay almost dead near her. There was a hole clear through his chest. Even she could not heal a wound that severe. I kind of hurt that she had never felt before hit her. She couldn't place it, but it almost felt like, like disbelief. Denial, denial that Ichigo was really dead, and that Ulquiorra had dealt the fatal blow. Ulquiorra landed a ways away from her. She looked over to him, tears flowing down her face. To her surprise, his expression was no the stoic face she had grown accustomed to, no, this face was sad...guilty.

He knew he had hurt her, and what's worse is that he couldn't figure out if it really hurt her more, or him. It was like two sides battled for dominance inside his very being, one dedicated to ridding his world of intruders, and the other that cared so much for this woman. He was left with his insides feeling as if they were ablaze. His hollow hole ached and his chest was tight. No matter how many breaths he took, this pressure would not rid itself of him. His mind conflicted with itself on whether or not to approach her. _Would she even want to see me? Even want me to be by her? _Finally when he could take her crying no longer, he started to approach.

He took step by step, closer and close to her weeping form. He stood a couple feet behind her, listening to her sob. "Orihime, I di-"

"He's dead! Don't you get it? DEAD!" she cried as loud as she could. Her fists pounded at the lifeless sand on which her fallen friend laid. This type of caring for one another, he had never seen before. It made him start to understand. You only live once as a human, and the people around you are the most important. You mourn them, because you never know what will happen, if you will see them again.

He was taken aback by this outburst of violence. Her fingers clawed deep into the sand, leaving long deep scars in it. _Scars that would never heal... _She stood up, fists balled up against her chest, face down. The sand slowly drained from her hands, blowing away with the wind...

Ulquiorra approached closer until his body was almost touching hers. He could feel the vibrations of her body shaking from sadness and grief. "Orihime please, I-" she began to shake her head, before suddenly spinning around.

"Don't! Don't even talk!" she screamed at him. She brought her fists up and slammed them as hard has her weakened body would let her against his chest. _This violence, so unlike her... _he though. His hands slowly made their way up her back, pushing her closer to him until she was being embraced in a hug. She cried mercilessly into his shoulder, her arms against her chest. One of his hands rested against the back of her neck, gently messaging it. He hadn't wanted for this to happen. He had been caught in a fit of jealousy and pride, a dangerous mix for the Espada. Ulquiorra had fought until he had killed, and now he was paying for it.

Uryuu watched the scene in front of him unfold. _The Espada that just killed Ichigo is now _comforting _Orhime? _It didn't make any sense to him. Why would he come to her? Why would she even let him within miles of her? Why did she care for her, or him for her? He watched as he was the demon pressing soft comforting kisses on her temple and forehead. He almost began to feel sick at this display of affection, if it could really be called that. There was no way this was real, was there? He was a merciless killing machine, trained to slaughter and devour souls, a devout servant of the evil king of Las Noches and Hueco Mundo. He wondered what they had done to make her act like this.

Suddenly a white light from behind the two lovers shined with the intensity of the sun. A roar of anger emitted from the form behind them. The form that now stood where Ichigo's body had once laid, was not his. Round two, was about to begin.

* * *

She watched with terror in her eyes as he brutally slaughtered Ulquiorra. The Espada's body lay on the ground, void of its usual warmth that she had begun to see in him. His leg and arm were all but missing from his body, and one of his magnificent horns had been ripped from his head. Orihime watched a long side Uryuu as Ulquiorra's muscles twitched with misfired nerve pulses.

His eyes opened slightly, just enough to observe what was around him. He was still alive, barely though. He still clung to life. He held on so tight, because he had something to live for now, for her. The Espada tried to move his arms and legs, only to find that he only had one of each. The pain had not yet reached him. He found it almost impossible to get up, but he finally managed to roll onto his side and use his remaining leg and wing for support. His attention was grabbed immediately by the sharp whimper of Orihime not far away from him. That demon hollow was getting closer to her and Uryuu. Even in his beaten state, he would not allow this. He managed to focus enough energy to create a glowing bolt of lightning and he limped over towards the hollow. Ichigo was charging a cero at the pair. His eyes widened and he sharply inhaled. With his last burst of energy reserves, he used sonido to get up behind this being, and with one slice of his staff, shattered the mask of the other hollow. The cero lost its focus and misfired high into the Hueco Mundo sky. With the mask shattered, Ichigo fell to the ground, unmoving.

Orihime remained a safe distance away from the hollow, unsure as to if he would come back to life. But seconds later, the body of Ichigo was now in the monster's place, and was beginning high speed regeneration. Within seconds, the hole in his chest was gone.

Ulquiorra let the bolt of lightning in his hand disappear, as he could no longer support it with the energy needed. He was simply too weak. Suddenly, without warning, the tip of his wing began to turn into dust. "Hmm...I'm that far gone..."

Orihime's eyes widened at this spectacle. She rushed to him, hoping and praying to any being out there that she would make it to him before he was completely gone. Faster and faster, she made every step. Tears streamed down her face, cries of pain and fear escaped her lips. This couldn't be happening. She didn't even get to tell him she loved him! Things were going to be left unsaid that should have always been. "Now I see..." he began. His body was over halfway gone.

When she was within reaching distance, he reached his only remaining arm out to her. She tried to reach to him, to grab his hand one last time. To touch his skin, to feel his warmth, but all she could smell was her own stupidity. Now, she could only see the night they had shared in her mind, the passion, the love, the lust. She would see that, and then her eyes would come back to reality, and see him dying in front of her. This sense of panic that constantly constricted on her, it was suffocating. Her insides burned with every negative emotion ever imagined. She stopped dead in her tracks as her hand tried desperately to reach his.

For a split second, time seemed to all but stop, and her eyes locked onto his own. His were full of sorrow, regret, guilt. _This is not how it was supposed to be!_

With both their finger tips reaching as if they were each other's last chance at life, it was still not enough. Just before their hands could meet for the final time, his hand, then arm, disintegrated before her eyes. She grabbed at the air, only to catch handfuls of ash. She stood, unable to move, unable to speak or make any type of sound. "Now I see. You're heart," his body was so weak. With one powerful gust of wind, the rest of his body disappeared and became one with the wind. Orihime gasped when she didn't see her lover anymore. He was just..._gone._ He had been snatched from her grasp, stolen from her embrace. She looked down in her hands at the small pile of black ash that rested there. She held it close to her weeping body as the wind threatened to steal that from her as well.

With one howl of the winds, she could hear his voice. "You're heart, was in my hands," he finished. She took a deep breath, and only then began to sob harder than she ever had in her entire life. She cried harder than when her brother had died, when her family died, when Ichigo died. Orihime fell to her knees, clenching a death grip onto the ashes. Her body lurched forward with each sob. Her cries soon gave way to a bloody murder scream. So much pain, _hopeless, lonely pain. _Tears fell down her face and dripped into the pile of ashes, creating a black inky substance. She squeezed her hands together until the liquid seeped through the cracks of her fingers, dripping down her hand and wrist. Where it fell, black trails were left.

Ichigo had returned to his feet, and stood next to Uryuu. Neither man knew how to react. So they stood there, and did nothing...

* * *

After the winter war with Aizen, it seemed that they were expected to just go back to their normal lives. When they were back at school, everyone noticed that Orihime did not smile like before. She look worn and defeated. All her friends were worried about her, that Aizen had done something to her. They couldn't understand. When they asked she just shook her head. She could not tell them about her relationship with Ulquiorra. What would they do if they found out? She couldn't answer that, and didn't want to yet.

As time went by, she started to smile again, but the light was not in her eyes anymore. It had never returned. Her smiles were fake, hollow like the one she had loved. Her friends did not try to push her, they knew she must had gone through hell in that place, but every so often one of them would bring up the fact that she was not the same. But, the conversation would always end the same. She would choke it to death with "I really don't want to talk about it," and it was done. Eventually, Orihime even gave up on the fake smiles. What was the point if they all knew something was wrong? She wasn't fooling anyone, only attempting to fool herself, into thinking that everything was going to be alright. It could never be alright again, not unless you could change the past.

Months passed, and Orihime found that he had left her with a part of him. Something to grasp onto as her last connection with her lost lover. She had been sick a lot and had gone to the doctor only to learn that she was indeed pregnant. At first, she had been shocked and refused to speak to anyone. Many times, she would not leave her apartment. She would lay in her bed, holding tightly onto a small vial of ashes tied into a necklace. She stayed clenched into a ball under the blankets in the dark, depressed and painful.

* * *

It had been at least 2 months of her being without human interaction, besides her friends' visits to her. She had finally started coming out, and her hopelessness was beginning to clear up. Then, she started to smile again. She had realized she had something to hold onto, a small piece of him to cherish. And cherish it she would. Her child would grow up knowing who its father was, who he _really _was. The kind, caring, and loving being she knew. Orihime was certain that he would have loved the child, and would have been a good father.

Her friends had been shocked to hear she was pregnant. Like an excited pack to the expecting mother, they all gathered around her and offered any help they could. They asked who the father was, and we eager to find out every detail they could milk from her. Was he going to help her with the child? When did it happen? She could feel her throat tighten up with each question. She looked at all of them, and then the tear fell.

"He…he can't," she sniffed. Tatsuki looked mad about this.

" What do you mean he can't? He need to man up and take responsibility for what he has done," she said with her fiery personality. Ichigo nodded in agreement with her. Who could be so cowardly to impregnate a girl and then offer no help to her? After all, she was the one that had to walk around for 9 months while everyone can plainly see her state, and he can walk around with no signs at all.

This only made her cry more.

"It's not that he wouldn't," she said softly, then even more softly she said, "it is because he is dead." Everyone look at her unsure of what to say. Some had looks of confusion, others of anger or sadness.

Uryuu was the first to speak.

"It's his, isn't it? The Espada that watched over you while you were there?" She looked at him sadly. Her eyes gave it all away.

"Ulquiorra," she whispered. A strangled cried jerked her body. She brought her vial of ashes to her heart, pressing it close. Ichigo looked away from her as guilt washed over him. This was his fault. Her smile had been gone because of that hollow's death, and he had dealt the finishing blow. Gone was her bubbly personality, that vivid light in her eyes, the life that her body was pumped full of. All, gone.

"Orihime I… I am sorry." he said still looking away. He could not face her now, not after learning that he had taken away the one she loved. Everyone remained quiet, their heads down. No one dared say a word. Some had their eyes closed, thinking about how this could have happened. The air in the room was tense and thick. Finally, Ichigo could take it no longer, and he rushed out of the room. The rest of the group listened as he opened and closed the front door, leaving. They all understood, they knew it was not because he couldn't stand Orihime or hated her, no it was just the opposite. He cared for her so much, knowing that he had caused her this type of pain, he couldn't take it.

She looked over to Uryuu, who was seated on the sofa. "Ishda, what does 'te amo' mean?" she asked him. The words that Ulquiorra had spoken to her still plagued her, and it bothered her that she didn't know what they meant. He looked at her will a curious face, though it held no happiness.

"I love you, in Spanish," he answered.

* * *

She was trying to get back on her feet now, trying to cope with what had happened. She had to be a good mother for the baby, had be strong because she would be doing this alone. _Alone._

The thought made her insides tighten quickly. She had lost everything, her family, and her lover. All Orihime had left was her friends, and this was not something they could really help her with. She broke down crying again. She was all alone in the world again. The weight of it all seemed to much. Why did the world hate her? Was she not meant to be happy? To have someone that was always there for her? More often than not, it seemed that way to her. This pain, however, was a constant and painful reminder that she was human. _Was it in fact better to hurt than to feel nothing at all? How long could this last? _

Drowsiness was starting to become a constant thing for her. Orihime needed just to have one night of sleep. One night where she could just sleep through the night, and not be awakened by nightmares, or by pain. She walked to the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of sleeping pills. She just needed to sleep _once, _was that too much to ask?

She sat down on her bed, bottle in hand. She took one pill, but it still felt like too much was on her mind. To solve this, she took another. Still sitting there with the bottle in hand, she thought about her life. _Was it worth it to feel nothing at all? _A few more and she should sleep for a few days right? That was the last thought through her head, until she took another and another until the bottle of pills was almost empty. She felt herself get tired, very tired. Everything was beginning to slip away, blackness trying to overtake her vision. Her scenes were being blocked out, and she began to feel the welcomed sense of numbness through her body. It snaked into every part of her, gripping at every fiber of her being. She took one last deep breath. Just as her eyes were closing, she suddenly saw two vibrant green eyes staring down at her with worry.

Ulquiorra was unsure of why he was not dead. He had found himself in the soul society his helmet and hollow hole now gone after months of nothing but void blackness. He wondered if that had been his punishment for his deeds, to never see anything ever again. Lord knows, he deserved it. His tear makes were still there for reasons he did not know. Perhaps it was to remind him of the pain he had felt, the pain he had caused others. _Eternal crying was his curse, his punishment, his brand. _

He had rushed to the human world as soon as they would let him. Just as before, he knew his time was growing thinner and thinner. Ulquiorra showed up to her apartment, running as fast as he could to her room. As fate would have it, just in time to see Orihime, drifting off into eternal sleep. As soon as he was by her side, he gripped her hand, finally completing what had gone undone months ago.

"Orihime," he whispered, attempting to wake her. She didn't stir. He tried to shake her harder, but to no avail. His eyes widened, as it finally hit him. His eyes drifted to the empty bottle of sleeping pills on the floor. _She's dead, _he thought. For the first time in his life, he felt his eyes start to prick with tears. _Eternally crying... _

"Orihime, no..." he choked out, "don't leave me." He had escaped death only to have the only thing he cared about in the world ripped away from him. He brought her hand up to his lips to kiss it over and over again, as gentle as he could. He shed a single tear down his cheek. It mingled with his existing tear marks down his face.

Ulquiorra lowered his head to lay on her chest. He didn't know what else to do, but to cry. And so, that is what he did. He laid there with her in his arms for one last time, unable to let her go.

Through his tear clouded eyes, his lifted his head to see the small bump in her abdomen. He then felt another spirit energy leave her body. This spirit energy was unknown to him, and was very small and weak. His eyes widened as he then understood. She had been pregnant, pregnant with his child. He studied the bump, all the while his eyes shed tears down his pristine face.

It was all to much to take in. His only love, only person he had ever cared about, was pregnant with his child, but now he lost them both. Both lay in front of him, lfe having escaped them.

Ulquiorra leaned down and gently kissed Orihime's stomach, watching as one of his tears landed on it.

The thought of losing both of them was all too real to him, and he could not live with himself. Slowly his hand reached for the hilt of his sword. For the first time in his life, his body trembled as tears jerked away from him. He leaned down for a final kiss, pressing his lips fully onto hers. There was no turning back now.

Ulquiorra unsheathed his zanpakuto, watching how the light reflected off the razor sharp blade. He brought it up so the tip rested on the soft skin around his collar bone. His body shook angrily. He took on last look at his love, his only reason for living, and pledged himself to death. Ulquiorra plunged the blade through his body, until the sword hilt would go no further. What was the point in living if he had already lost everything? He collapsed onto Orihime's dead body. If they could not be together in life, then maybe, they would be together in death.

The End

* * *

Some of you probably wont be able to read this because your eyes will be clouded with tears, but ill say it anyway. Was the OOC ok here? I tried to ease you all into it throughout the story, but i still feel that this was a little harsh. I didnt want to just drop a bombshell on yall. I really tried to use all those author tricks with the contradictions and such, but idk how it really worked. I felt that those songs really added a ton of emotion while i was writing, i had those three just constantly playing over and over and over again. iTunes was starting to get mad at me x_x So yes, while i read this for the first time by the original author, i immediately noticed the Romeo and Juliet ref, maybe backwards, but it was there. O, and i wrote this at about 2 in the morning on a day where i was NOT having good typing skills, so please if i spelled something wrong or my grammar is off, tell me. Ik its no excuse, but my hands just werent working today D: Very anxious to hear what you all think, thanks so much for sticking with me through it, u guys all rock :D

Cheers


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